Town Council Race A Fight To The End

PLAINVILLE — The Republicans want to win a five-person majority on the town council in this year's election, but so do the Democrats, making this year's campaign a fight to the end.

With all seven seats up for grabs, either party stands to gain the super-majority of five, the number needed to approve motions. The council currently has four Republicans and three Democrats. Registered Democrats outnumber Republicans by a ratio of more than 2-to-1.

The Republicans are presenting a largely incumbent slate, with only one newcomer, Thomas Arcari, a senior engineer at Northeast Utilities. The incumbent candidates are Helen Bergenty, David Underwood, Katherine Pugliese and William Petit.

The Democrats' slate comprises three newcomers and two incumbents, James Stuart and Robert Warnat. The newcomers are Irene Furman, a manager at Petit's Dairy Farms in Plainville; Gloria Saucier, the director of Penny Playground in Plainville; and Christopher Wazorko, a claims service manager at CIGNA Healthcare.

Last week, the Democratic town committee fired its arsenal during a press conference revealing the 15- year tax records of William Bergenty, husband of Republican incumbent Bergenty.

Bergenty, council chairwoman, has in the past successfully distanced herself from her husband's delinquent taxes. But Democrats said that Bergenty jointly owns at least two properties with her husband, which means she may owe more than $15,000 in back taxes.

``Helen Bergenty has not demonstrated the level of personal responsiblity and leadership which people of Plainville deserve. . . . This delinquent taxpayer should not be re- elected to the town council,'' Democrats said during the press conference last week.

Bergenty claimed she didn't realize she owed taxes on property at 78 Farmington Ave., property she owns jointly with her husband. She also said that the town records that list her as the joint owner of her home at 8 Stremlau Ave. are a mistake and that she isn't responsible for the $15,000 in back taxes, penalties and fees that have accrued over the past five years.

The Republican town committee has accused the Democrats of playing dirty because they ``know how critical this election could be.''

``This election means so much because if we get five votes, Bob Michalik [town attorney] and Dan Ciesielski [town treasurer] are going to be out of there,'' said Underwood, Republican committee chairman.

Republicans have unsuccessfully tried to push Michalik, a Democrat, out of his appointed position but don't have the enough votes to appoint someone else.

Unseating the Democrats is not an issue on the minds of some residents in this campaign, however. For instance, Peter Chase, director of the Plainville Public Library, said he wanted the council to find a solution to the library's decade-old space problem.

So far, no one on the council has been able to persuade the owners of two properties on either side of the library to sell their land to the town. Meanwhile, the library's problems persist.

The town engineer is monitoring the movement of cracks in the library's back walls, the roof sometimes leaks and the library owns more than 12,500 books that it can't fit into its cramped quarters.

Both parties have pledged to solve the library's problems. Democrats say they will negotiate with the owners of property on each side of the library. Republicans, however, say they have a plan to have the town purchase separate property directly behind the library -- an option that was unsuccessful about three years ago.